Radical Unschooling: The Unlazy Parenting Revolution

I repeat… Unschooling is NOT for the lazy parent!! Rules and force are easy for a parent, but at what cost to the child and the relationship? Permissive parenting and non-involvement is NOT what I am promoting here… This Unschooling life is very involved, connected and takes time to find ways to ensure the child’s rights and freedoms are respected, while ensuring the child’s health and safety, but it can be done… and done well.

Welcome to the Unschooling Revolution!

~Peace & Love, Dayna

Comments

I know that it is not for the lazy parent. What I do not know is how to do it with 6 kids. Your book and posts are great at showing how to do it with 2 kids. I cannot possibly be in 6 places at once, though, and they are not interested in the same stuff! We do not have 6 tv’s, 6 computers or 6 wii consoles. I do not have 6 vehicles with chauffers in them. I have a daughter who loves to sing, but my son refuses to get in the vehicle so that she can attend choir practice. We just had to quit the choir. This makes me sad for my daughter. This is so hwrd. How can I do this?

I hear your struggle. Your questions are legit and I hope if this is the path you want, that you will find ways to get the support and balance that will help make this possible for you. It is challenging and I think it’s important to respect yourself, your (current) limits, be gentle with yourself and do not try to be perfect. Every little thing you do to support your kids in their passions and learning, counts, big time! I hope all is going well for you these days, I know this is long since you’ve left your comment.

Is there something else that he can do while she’s at Choir? as much as unschooling is about letting them make decisions, there’s something to be said for teaching and learning respect, patience, etc.. through maybe a little forced “get in the car” rule to allow for all of your kids to get what they need. Not everything needs to be 100% hands-off, their decision 🙂

Hi dayna sometimes I feel like I’m scared to ask my parents for something I want like when I wanted to start a YouTube channel I felt like I couldn’t find the courage to ask them, it felt like I was scared of something but I don’t know what.
What should I do?

Dayna I am so inspired by you and your family* I love the reminder that Un schooling is not for the Lazy parent.. as we also have to unschool our own selves and be consciously working on our stuff the junk in the trunk I call it.. If we give unconscious answers our kids know..If we are not present .. our kids know.. if we are not living our truth or our joy.. our kids know.. so we alive and awake.. and it can be done.. but it takes effort.. but is a labour of love and life is so interesting.. and one must embrace change.. and the unexpected.. I have radical faith.. and have lost what i thought were friends.. as they said .. I am crazy.. yes I am in a great way.. wild and free.. living from our hearts.. so just wanted to share our experience.. btw.. After having three children in the teen years we had a baby at 42 and 57 years young.. we are so close with our older kids best friends and they are so awesome and know their hearts so well * If you are reading this and wondering if you could un school.. yes you can .. * Jump into magical life.. it is soo worth your time energy and love of self.. Love to all .. Raven and Nick and Lilyamma

Hi Dayna, I’m wondering how this “un-schooling” works with children with “learning differences”, for example: language processing insufficiency, emotional disturbances, etc. Connecting with children who can’t connect back is the issue.

Every kid is capable of some level of connection in my opinion. Even people in comas can connect science has found. This is the amazing story of a mom, not a professional, who bypassed all of the professional advice to forge a connection with her autistic child and later to facilitate other parents forging those same connections and finding what their autistic children were interested in. The breakthroughs that came when people could connect and foster their children’s passions were FAR GREATER than any breakthroughs that came from the very long days of “professional” therapy. The book is not an unschooling book. In fact, in parts there are some sad stories of kids being forced into long and tedious therapies. But ultimately it’s the story of a mom who found that, even with these kids special needs, amazing things could happen, things professionals said would never happen, when the parents learned to connect and to foster the kids’ passions.

Hey Dayna, really inspiring to read your posts and watch your video. My worry is that I live in a city with very little access to greenery and open space, and plus have a single child. Wouldn’t this be a very isolating experience for my child? He is incredibly articulate and social.

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Dayna Martin has been inspiring others for over a decade by sharing her experience through natural birth, attachment parenting and Unschooling. She is an activist, educator and author of, Radical Unschooling: A Revolution Has Begun, and her newest … More...

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